Blank music-paper



H. L. HASTINGS. Blank Music-Paper.

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' notes may be written.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HORACE L. HASTINGS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLANK MUSIC-PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part ,of Letters Patent No. 225,596, dated March 16, 1880.

' Application filed April 7, 1879.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORAGE L. HASTINGS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Blank Music-Paper, of whic the following is a specification.

This invention relates to blank music-paper having ruled or printed parallel lines-composing the staff or s aves upon which music is written.

As is well known, musical sounds are indicated by notes, the pitch of which is determined by the position which they occupy upon a staff which is composed of five parallel hori zontal lines, upon each of which, as also upon each of the four spaces which they inclose, Each of these staves affords room for placing all of the eight musical notes in their proper positions; but it is often the case that a piece of music requires space for more than eight consecutive notes, its sounds descending below or ascending above the sounds which are indicated by notes placed within the compass of this staff of five lines. In that case it is customary to add what are termed lcger-lines, or short lines placed above or below the staff, and on them are written the necessary high or low notes.

Heretofore music-paper has been ruled or printed uniformly, by machinery, in five-line staves, and all leger-lines above and below have been added by the composer or transcriber with the pen, at 'a considerable exwhole of the notes will be written above the staff, requiring much labor in writing them, and causing a corresponding difficulty in playing the music.

My invention has for its object to obviate the inconvenience of writing these added or leger-lines by hand above and below theordinary ruled. staves of music-paper; and to this end itconsists in the provision of a sufficient number of leger-lines, ruled or printed, in dash lines, above or beneath, or above and beneath, the ordinary five lines of the staves, whereby said leger-lines are distinguishable from the five lines composing the stafi, so that they will not be mistaken for the latter, and being preferably of the same length as the staff, so that they are always on the paper, and ready for use where needed.

My invention also consists in the provision of lines for the words accompanying music, said lines being suitably distinguished from the staff and leger lines, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figuresl and 2 represent blank music-paper ruled in accordance withmy invention.

Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, A A represent the ordinary staves, each composed of five full parallel lines, a, and b I) represent the added or leger lines, which are parallel with the lines a, and are preferably of the same length as the latter, so that they are always on the paper ready for use when they are needed. If these lines I) were in all respects fac-similes of the lines a of the staff, of course the eye would be confused in attempting to read the music. ficulty by making leger-lines of short dashes, with intervening spaces, extending across the page, as shown, and these (lashes, being placed at regular intervals. would also serve as a guide to the composer or transcriber, and enable him to secure uniformity in the spacing of notes,

thus adding materially to the beauty and legibility of manuscript. These'dash-lines may be of various lengths, and printed or ruled in colors.

In the case of ordinary church-music, the parts of which are written upon four staves, one or two lines b above and below each stafi would be sufficient. In case of music written in the condensed score, the bass and tenor being placed upon the lower staff and the soprano and alto upon the upper staff, two or I propose, therefore, to avoid this difthree added lines b above the bass staff and beneath the treble staff might be requisite, While, in the case of instrumental music, it would be necessary frequently to rule an entire staff of leger-lines above the ordinary staff.

If desired, lines 0 may be provided in convenient relation to the staff-lines, on which to write words to accompany the notes. These Word-lines should also be distinguished by some color, form, or position from the lines a I).

I am aware that continuously-lined Webs of paper have been used in recording musical instruments; also, that it has been proposed to make the lines of staves of different colors or shapes, and the leger-lines of like colors or shapes.

I claim as my invention 1. Blank music-paper having staff-lines a and dash-lines 1), serving as leger-lines, substantially asspecified.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, 

